Picasso and Braque: The Creation of Cubism

Braque was an introvert, and Picasso was an extrovert so by all accounts these two personalities should not have mixed. Both of them had different painting styles and work ethics, yet from 1908 to 1914 they were basically inseparable, forming a unique and everlasting partnership that created Cubism.

Braque’s role is often underplayed as Picasso is the more commercially acclaimed artist, but Braque was capable of remarkable flexibility and invention. It was certainly a give and take between Braque and Picasso, and of their velocity of discovery and invention. However Braque’s and Picasso’s attraction to notions of selflessness and anonymity probably owes more to the reticence and tact of Braque, than to the overly self-confident of Picasso.

Even after Picasso and Braque went their own ways, when Braque enlisted to join the war efforts, they occasionally made snide remarks about each other but remained loyal to what they had shared during these years. They never expressed what transpired between them. As Braque recalled, ”Picasso and I said things to one another that will never be said again … that no one will be able to understand.” This dedication and respect is one seldomly seen in the art world, and their silence on what transpired signifies that they felt their time together was sacred. And without such time spent together, who knows if Cubism would exist or even be considered an art form today.